How I Am Not Going to Watch Video

I've thought about it for the past few days, and I think I've got my guidelines nailed down for my decision not to watch video anymore:

1. I will not watch any form of video for entertainment when I am alone.

2. I will still go out to a movie theaters, and I will watch videos with friends.

3. When with friends, the only videos I will suggest are movies or t.v. shows that can be watched on demand, e.g., from a DVD, or NetFlix. Not from googling around to find something to watch not television.

4. In a similar vein, I will always try to suggest something else if someone suggests we watch t.v.

5. I will watch educational videos on the internet, when necessary. I will keep in mind that it is often less necessary than I believe. For example, videos "showing things off" are never really necessary. Videos explaining or illustrating things can be helpful; only if they are part of a curriculum or are answering a specific question I have.

6. There are two major exceptions: I will watch videos from Red Letter Media, the only purveyor of internet entertainment I would want to watch on a desert island, if I could watch only one; also, the videos from Wolfire Games - a game design studio I find particularly adept and whose opinions on their design process I find very insightful and inspiring. I will not search out videos to watch from these two; I will simply watch as their entries appear in my RSS feed.

7. If I ever feel the urge to break these rules, I will read a book. No matter what I really need to get done (i.e., if I am trying to get work done and wanting to distract myself, I will take a break and read a book, even if I would normally decide not to read a book, because I have work to do.) This last rule will be very difficult and unusual for me; I look forward to the challenge.

That's all of it for now, I think. I have other plans to develop, but working on one habit at a time is best, they say.